Weekly Wellbeing Focus – Negativity Bias / Negativity Mind-chatter

Welcome to the Weekly Wellbeing Focus. The focus for this week is Negativity Bias / Negativity Mind-chatter

Parent Wellbeing:

Your choices shape your life, and research has shown, that 40% of your wellbeing is determined by the choices you make. Refuse to accept that you have no choices. The first choice that you have, is whether you choose to choose. Explore, do you choose to make choices, or are you pulled along by other people’s choices?

As the human race has evolved, our biology has developed to adapt to our environment. Our ancestors lived in tribes to survive, protect themselves from dangers and to ensure everyone was provided for. Our first thought to look what is a threat or wrong with something is called our negativity bias. When we perceive a threat, whether real or imagined, our bodies go into the fight or flight response, which prepares us for action.

Adolescence is a time when self-image and social connectedness are the kings in their lives, which heightens their negativity bias to look for threats to them. This is more pronounced in the 21st century with the 24/7 social media presence in their lives. Then add the pressure of doing well at school and they are continually the fight or flight response.

While we can’t change students’ fight or flight response, we can teach them strategies to use which minimises the effects. These coping strategies include pausing when they notice themselves feeling tense, sharing with their champions, using positive self-talk, colouring in, exercising, breathing meditation and focusing on JOMO (Joy Of Missing Out). Essentially, being able to control their negativity bias, is reliant on us assisting them to develop their self-awareness of what is happening around and to them.

Acknowledgement: Baumeister, Brown & Hanson

Students have discussed these things during this week’s focus:

Jake McIntosh
Assistant Head of Secondary – Wellbeing